The Blood and Muscle Expression Pattern of the Equine TCAP Gene during the Race Track Training of Arabian Horses.
Abstract: Horse musculature has been shaped through evolution by environmental and human factors, which has resulted in several extraordinary adaptations to physical effort. Skeletal muscle plasticity results from the response to mechanical stimulation causing hypertrophy, where sarcomeres increase the muscle's cross-sectional area under the influence of contractile forces. The aim of the present study was the evaluation of transcript abundance of the telethonin () gene, which is a part of the sarcomere macromolecular mechanosensory complex in the gluteus medius muscle, and the whole blood of Arabian horses during flat race training. The analysis, performed by quantitative PCR, showed an increase of transcripts in skeletal muscle. However, in whole blood, the transcript abundance decreased after the first stage of training and further increased after the second phase. The obtained results indicate a lack of similarity of gene expression in both tissues.
Publication Date: 2019-08-18 PubMed ID: 31426609PubMed Central: PMC6720385DOI: 10.3390/ani9080574Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research investigates how horse muscle genes known as telethonin (TCAP) react during flat race training in Arabian horses. The results reveal a rise in TCAP in their muscles, yet, an initial decrease followed by an increase in their blood.
Introduction to the Research
- This study examines the behavior of a specific gene, the telethonin (TCAP), during the vigorous exercise demanded by flat race training in Arabian horses. Their musculature evolution and adaptation to strenuous physical activities are key areas of focus.
- TCAP is a part of the sarcomere mechanosensory complex, a component of muscle fibers called sarcomeres that are responsible for muscle contraction. This gene’s expression patterns in muscles can thus offer insights into how horses adapt to intensive exercise regimes.
- The chosen test subjects for this research were Arabian horses, a breed renowned for its athletic endurance and speed, making it a popular breed for flat racing.
Approach to the Research
- The researchers utilized quantitative PCR, a laboratory technique used to amplify and simultaneously quantify a targeted DNA molecule, to measure TCAP transcript levels in the horses’ gluteus medius muscle and whole blood, collected before, during, and after flat race training.
- The gluteus medius muscle was chosen for muscle sample collection due to its heavy involvement in the locomotion of horses, especially in flat racing where speed is critical.
Findings of the Study
- The findings revealed increasing levels of TCAP transcripts in the muscle tissue of Arabian horses as the flat race training advanced. This implies, based on the role of TCAP in the sarcomere mechanosensory complex, that the horses’ muscular structure was actively adapting to the physical stress of racing.
- Conversely, in whole blood, the transcript level of TCAP initially decreased after the first stage of training, only to rise again after the second phase. Such fluctuations indicate a complex interaction between this gene and other bodily responses to exercise.
Conclusion of the Research
- The disparate patterns of TCAP expression in skeletal muscle and whole blood have been outlined. These differences highlight that the expression of the TCAP gene varies across tissues and depends on the physical demands posed by the athletic training.
- Though the complex interactions between TCAP and other stress-induced interpretations in the body warrant further inquiry, this discovery begins to unravel the intricate adjustment mechanisms harnessed by equine physiology under athletic training.
Cite This Article
APA
Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Szmatoła T, Łątka J, Długosz B, Ropka-Molik K.
(2019).
The Blood and Muscle Expression Pattern of the Equine TCAP Gene during the Race Track Training of Arabian Horses.
Animals (Basel), 9(8), 574.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9080574 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animals Reproduction, Anatomy and Genomics, the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 24/28, 30-159 Kraków, Poland. monika.stefaniuk-szmukier@urk.edu.pl.
- Department of Animal Molecular Biology, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Krakowska 1, 32-083 Balice, Poland.
- Centre of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture in Kraków, Al. Mickiewicza 24/28, 30-059 Kraków, Poland.
- Department of Animals Reproduction, Anatomy and Genomics, the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 24/28, 30-159 Kraków, Poland.
- Department of Animals Reproduction, Anatomy and Genomics, the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 24/28, 30-159 Kraków, Poland.
- Department of Animal Molecular Biology, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Krakowska 1, 32-083 Balice, Poland.
Grant Funding
- 2014/15/D/NZ9/05256 / National Science Centre
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.
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Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Reißmann M, Rajavel A, Kokov ZA, Schmitt AO. Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes after Endurance Runs in Karbadian Horses to Determine Candidates for Stress Indicators and Performance Capability. Genes (Basel) 2023 Oct 24;14(11).
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